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Financial Aid

Financial Aid File Review (Verification)

The federal Central Processing System (CPS) selects approximately 30% of all FAFSA filers for the verification review process. Missouri Western may also select additional filers for review to ensure accuracy and consistency.

During the review, the Financial Aid Office will verify all mandatory items identified by the U.S. Department of Education (adjusted gross income, non-taxable income, household size, number of exemptions, the number in college and taxes paid, snap benefits and child support paid). In addition, the Financial Aid Office may verify discretionary items.

Notification of Selection

Students who are selected for a verification review, by either the CPS or by Missouri Western, will be notified via their Missouri Western email account and will may see all required documents listed on Goldlink.

Documentation Required to Complete Verification

The Financial Aid Office must collect all required documents and resolve any conflicting information before awarding aid.

Required Documents for Dependent Students

A copy of the most recent federal tax return transcript for both the student and parent(s) including the step-parent (if applicable) or a Statement of Non-Filing Status for those who did not and were not required to file a tax return.

Copies of all W-2 forms for the tax year if the student and/or parent:

did not and were not required to file a tax return, or

elect to submit a paper Tax Return Transcript rather than using the Data Retrieval Tool within the FAFSA application.

Additional documents and forms may be required depending upon the individual student, spouse or parent information provided.

Applicants whose FAFSA information requires correction will have those corrections electronically processed by the Financial Aid Office. The corrections will generate an updated Student Aid Report (SAR) which will be sent to the student by the federal Central Processing System (CPS). The student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) may change based on corrections made.

Conflicting Information

If conflicting information is discovered after aid is awarded or disbursed, the Financial Aid Office must resolve the conflicting information and the student will be required to repay aid received in excess of his/her eligibility. All conflicts must be resolved regardless of whether the student was selected for verification or not.

Over-Payments of Aid
If it is determined that a student has received funds for which he or she is not eligible, the student must repay the amount to Missouri Western.

Deadlines

Missouri Western’s priority deadline for completion of the Verification process is March 1st each year. Completing the Verification process after this date, may result in you not being considered for Missouri Western competitive scholarships and other aid opportunities including Federal SEOG and Federal Perkins loans. You may also be required to make payments towards your account balance until your aid eligibility can be determined.

The final deadline to complete the Verification process will be established by the U.S. Department of Education and published in the Federal Register on an annual basis – www.federalregister.gov/.